The present invention relates to the broad class of compact thermal insulators and more particularly to those insulators capable of withstanding large compressive forces at high temperatures.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is designed for an aircraft brake, in which extreme transient temperatures, after reaching 2000.degree. F., and hydraulic pressure to 3000 psi are common during a brake application. Under certain operating conditions, such as an aborted or rejected take off (RTO), the braking effort results in very high temperatures in the rotor and stator discs. Due to requirements for increased performance and fuel economy, various components of the aircraft have been made out of lighter metals such as aluminum and titanium. The strength of these metals, however, is somewhat adversely affected by the extreme heat conducted across their surfaces which interface with the rotor and stator discs while high heat generation occurs during a brake application. Various heat shields, thermal insulators, and air or water cooling techniques have been proposed to reduce the extreme temperatures attained by these metals and to prevent heat transfer into these metals.